Vuvuzela's Revenge: A oneshot
by 1Blue25
Summary: One-shot written for Fandom Gives Back. Bella has a successful career to maintain and Edward is a soccer player who is determined to make her bend the rules for him.


**Vuvuzela's Revenge**

A Fandom Gives Back Story Written For Coxie

A/N: Coxie gave me the prompt for this story. The Soccer World Cup was in full swing at the time and she wanted to read a fic about soccer. Plus some lemony times (of course). I'm going to be honest – I know nothing about soccer other than that David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo look good in underwear ads. *shrug* So, here's the story of a soccer player who needs some attention off the field.

Tchau is Portuguese for "goodbye."

_Disclaimer: Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

_

* * *

_

Bella stepped into thesleek glass and chrome building that housed her medical practice and felt that familiar rush of pride wash over her. It still amazed her how far she'd come from little Forks, Washington. Attending medical school in the nation's capital had proved to be the right decision, no matter how much her dad had pleaded with her to go to school some place closer to home. After four years, her practice was finally successful. It was everything Bella had hoped to accomplish.

As Bella passed through the nearly empty lobby, she considered the plans she and her partner, Jessica Stanley, had discussed the week before. Jessica wanted to expand their practice, bring in more doctors, open a few offices up and down the Beltway. While Bella wasn't necessarily opposed to those ideas, she wasn't convinced that the time and the economy was right for that. They were young and had plenty of time to work towards those goals. For now, Bella was content to operate out of their single location in Rockville, one of the northern suburbs of D.C.

"Good morning, Dr. Swan," Alice, their receptionist, greeted her as she entered the offices of Capital Audiology. "Dr. Stanley called and said she was running late. She asked if you'd take her first patients for her."

Bella shifted her laptop bag on her shoulder and pushed away her annoyance. She was supposed to have a few hours free this morning for paperwork while Jessica tended to their Monday morning patients. It looked like she'd have to skip lunch today and work on it then instead. The waiting room was empty, giving Bella about half an hour to review that morning's files. Their waiting room was on the small side, but lacked the plastic-covered chairs and wood-paneled décor of some of their peers. Alice had proved to have a flair for interior design and had performed a miracle on their dorm room-sized waiting area. The walls were an oatmealy neutral, with photos of some of the lesser known tourist attractions in the area in lieu of mass-produced paintings of flowers. The floor was hardwood, which extended throughout, and the chairs were comfortable, padded affairs that Alice checked daily for stains, wear, and tear.

Passing through the door that separated the offices from the waiting room, Bella joined Alice behind the counter to review the charts. Alice was bright-eyed and perky, an everyday occurrence for her. It was one of the reasons they'd hired her. Bella wasn't sure if it was due to the Starbucks Frappuccinos she consumed every morning or the attentions of her gorgeous, newly wedded husband. Bella knew if she had a hot man like that to wake her up every morning, she'd be a lot less grumpy at 8:30 too.

"You're booked all morning, so it's going to be a busy day," Alice said apologetically.

Bella nodded. "It's ok – I'd rather have too many patients than not enough. What time's the first appointment?"

"Nine o'clock so he should be here soon. He's a new patient and I told him to come in early to fill out the paperwork."

Bella checked her watch and realized that she needed to hustle if she was going to keep up with the schedule for the rest of the morning. "Thanks, Alice. When Jess comes in, tell her to track me down." Bella turned and followed the hallway to the end and around to the right. The layout of the office was simple enough - the testing rooms were in the front, followed by five examination rooms, a supply closet, and then Jessica's and her offices at the end. Bella had claimed the office on the very end with the best view. As she placed her laptop on her desk she simultaneously reached over to open the blinds on her window. While Jess's view was of the parking lot, Bella's panorama was of the woods that bordered the office complex. Though the forests on each coast differed widely, being able to enjoy a view of any trees was a nice reminder of the thick, towering forests back home.

Bella took a few minutes to read over the patient notes she'd taken from Alice. Three new patients, two follow-ups, and a yearly exam for Mr. Banner. Mr. Banner was ninety years old and hadn't heard a word his wife had said in twenty years. Well, hadn't heard her without the assistance of his hearing aids. When his previous audiologist had retired two years ago, he'd found Capital Audiology in the phone book and picked them solely based on their name. He was one of their favorite patients, a friendly man whose mind hadn't lost its sharpness, and Bella looked forward to talking to him. He had funny, intriguing stories about his life as a teacher in the DC public school system.

The phone on Bella's desk beeped and Alice's voice rang through the intercom system. "Your nine o'clock is here, Dr. Swan, and if I were you, I'd run, not walk, to exam room three." The phone clicked as Alice dropped off and Bella stared at the device in surprise. Alice didn't usually add color commentary to her announcements. Was the first appointment an emergency, then? Bella looked at her list again and saw that the nine o'clock was a new patient. She hoped like hell Alice hadn't shown a bleeding man to the exam room. He needed a hospital, not an audiologist.

Bella grabbed her lab coat and hustled down the hallway to the exam room. Grabbing the chart Alice had placed outside the room, she knocked perfunctorily before rushing into the room. What she found was not the scene of a potential Stephen King novel. Instead, seated in the patient chair was perhaps the most beautiful man she'd ever seen.

Glossy auburn hair, broad shoulders, long limbs, narrow waist, and a face that made Bella literally stop in her tracks. He was smiling at her and the effect was devastating. Bella's heart pounded in her chest as she fought to regain control of her functions. This man had the ability to turn her into a babbling idiot, capable of making only sounds instead of words. Bella shifted her eyes to the chart in her hands as she struggled to learn how to speak again. The words on the pages began to take shape and she focused on those for a moment. _Edward Cullen. Age 32. Complaining of hearing loss in both ears._ The rest of his chart revealed him to be in excellent health and Bella cleared her throat, hoping that her momentary lack of composure wasn't obvious when she spoke.

"Good morning, Mr. Cullen. I'm Dr. Swan. How can I help you today?" Thankfully, her voice rang out strongly. Bella peered out over the top of the chart at him, willing herself to remember that he was a patient and not a gift from the gods for her own misguided pursuits.

Her patient smiled even more widely. "Edward, please," he said, his voice deep and sweeter than pecan pie. "Just call me Edward."

Bella took a deep breath. _Edward_ was going to be a handful. "Edward, what brings you here today?" She avoided his intense green eyes under the pretense of studying her chart again. The only emergency here was the uncontrollable cadence of her heart and the fate of Alice's tenure.

Edward was quiet then, even though she hadn't taken him for the silent type. She glanced up and saw him looking nervously around the room. "This is, er, confidential, right?"

Bella placed his chart down on the counter. "Of course." As a fairly young practice, she and Jess were always careful to maintain their integrity. She wondered if something about his visit so far had seemed unprofessional and made a note to speak to Alice about it later.

"Ok, well, you were recommended to me by a friend of a friend, and he swears that you're the best. I just need to make sure that nobody else finds out about this. It could affect my career and I'd rather it didn't." He studied his hands as he spoke, and Bella pondered at the loss of his confidence. He'd been so sure of himself just a few moments ago.

Bella took a seat on the stool they used for examinations and rolled closer to him. Any errant thoughts she might have been entertaining about him were gone. He was simply a patient now. "I can promise you that anything you tell me is confidential under several local, state, and federal laws. We may be young, but we understand how important privacy is to our patients. But, if you'd feel more comfortable seeing someone else, I can make several recommendations and Alice will be more than happy to help set you up with their offices." She was already running the names of a few colleagues through her mind.

Edward, for his part, appeared flummoxed. "No, that's not what I meant. I'm sorry – I've probably offended you. I was just concerned when your receptionist recognized me. I was afraid that she was going to pull her phone out the moment she shut me in and text all her friends. I feel perfectly capable in your hands." The smile was back, even if it had lost some of its wattage.

Bella studied him, trying to make sense of his words. "I'm sorry – I must have misunderstood. Are you a friend of Alice's?" That might explain why she wanted Bella to hurry to the exam room. Though, she hadn't mentioned it and Bella picked his chart up to read through his paperwork once more.

"Uh, no. I take it you don't know who I am?"

Bella looked up and stared at him. He was gorgeous enough to be a movie star, but she didn't recognize him. He had a great body, which he showed off in a tight polo and expensive, skinny jeans that hugged his thighs like a wet suit. "No, I'm sorry, I don't. Should I?" This appointment was beginning to feel like a bad romcom that she wanted no part of.

If she was embarrassed for committing some unknown social faux pas, Edward at least had the grace to blush right along with her. He chuckled as his gaze fell to the tops of his ridiculously expensive, though strangely hideous, black sneakers. "Well, I just made this more awkward than it needed to be. Let's start over." His gaze found hers as he stuck his hand out in greeting. "Hi, I'm Edward. I play for DC United and I'm having some issues with my hearing. Your receptionist seems to know who I am which could make this visit detrimental to my career since I'm trying not to let the team doctors know that I'm here or that anything is wrong. Please excuse my foot in mouth disease – I've struggled with it since I learned to talk and I'll just be shutting up now."

Bella tried not to be charmed by his honesty and rush to make amends. _Patient… he's your patient,_ she chanted in her head. She placed her hand in his and dropped it as soon as was politely acceptable. His hand was warm, callused, with long fingers that looked capable of many dirty things. She cleared her throat and struggled once again to bring things back to a professional plane. For her anyway. "I can assure you that Alice is not texting your location to anyone. However, I can go have a word with her if you'd like."

Edward sat back in the chair, visibly relaxing for the first time since she'd entered the room. "You don't have to do that. I'm a bit on edge and tend to lash out when that happens."

Bella gave a sigh of relief. The last thing she needed was anything to reflect negatively on her practice. If this guy was some famous athlete, the potentially harmful effects from his visit could multiply faster than a strain of E. coli. However, if things went well, he could recommend the practice to his friends, family, his teammates – the list was endless. In her mind, this patient's importance climbed dramatically higher. She was a doctor but she also had a business to run. There was plenty of competition in the DC metro area and they worked hard to make the practice successful. Edward Cullen, whoever he was, was more important than he realized.

"Why don't you tell me what's wrong and we'll go from there," Bella said as she waited patiently to begin his prognosis.

Edward's grin fell. He scratched the back of his head and then rested his palms on his thighs. "When we got back from the World Cup, I noticed that I wasn't hearing things as well as I used to. I have to turn the TV up louder to hear it. It's difficult to engage in conversation in a noisy restaurant. I…sometimes can't hear my coaches and teammates on the field. It's become a problem."

Bella took notes as he spoke, formulating in her mind possible causes for his condition. "Do you have any ideas as to what caused your hearing loss?" Edward shook his head. "Have you had any recent illnesses? Accidents? Long term exposure to loud sounds?"

Edward started to shake his head again, but paused and stared at her thoughtfully. "Loud sounds?" he asked.

"Yes," Bella said as she scooted her stool closer. "Long term exposure to any sound over acceptable decibel levels can lead to inner ear damage. You didn't mention what type of athlete you are – is that something that you come across on a fairly regular basis?" Bella was not sporty in any shape or form but she could imagine that stadiums were noisy places. At 32, he'd probably been playing for a while and it could fit.

"I play soccer - I don't know why I didn't think of it before. It was probably those damn vuvuzelas."

Bella peered at him over the tops of her reading glasses. "The what?" She started to make a note on his chart but realized she had no idea how to even spell that. She waited instead for his explanation.

"The vuvuzelas – you know – the horns that everyone was blowing at the World Cup? They're loud and annoying and I'm willing to bet that that's the source of my problems."

Bella grimaced as she tried to keep up. "I'm sorry, it's like you're speaking a different language. You're saying that at this World Cup thing, the teams were blowing horns at each other?"

Edward's laugh filled the small room, causing Bella to roll her stool back. "You really don't pay any attention to soccer, do you?"

Bella's mouth gaped as she fought the blush that threatened to color her cheeks. She knew a great deal of things, had spent years in school to become a doctor. She'd never thought to have a need to know anything about sports, in particular soccer. "No, I'm afraid I don't. I could however get Alice to come down here and explain it to me, if you'd prefer," she said, unable to hide the harsh tone that colored her speech. She wasn't used to feeling ignorant about a subject matter and it stung her pride.

Edward held his hands up. "No, please don't do that - I can tell you. I'm just used to people who eat, sleep and breathe soccer. It's actually refreshing to find someone who can talk about other things."

It took Bella a moment to realize he hadn't been trying to insult her. She didn't usually take patient comments so personally and she forced herself to remember that Edward Cullen was not there to stroke her ego. He was there because he needed a doctor. "Alright, well, if you can explain this to me in detail then I can get a better idea of what we're dealing with."

Bella made more notes as Edward described the instrument and its cultural significance to the host country of the soccer World Cup. She would have to do further research later into the sound pressure it caused. It would also help to reach out to some of her colleagues and see if they'd come across anyone else with a similar problem. The topic would actually make an interesting journal article – if she could convince Jess to write it with her. Bella could diagram the inside of the ear with her eyes closed but struggled on a daily basis to write coherent patient notes. She never would have survived the AuD program without Jess' support and excellent proofreading abilities.

With a start, Bella realized that Edward had stopped talking. She took her reading glasses off and smiled at him, hoping to distract him from her moment of reflection.

"We'll start off running some tests to measure the severity of the hearing loss and the health of your ears. We want to rule out anything like an infection or a wax blockage which could also affect the strength of your hearing." Bella stood, carrying the chart with her as she walked towards the door. "Tanya will be right in to get the tests started. And then I'll be back to go over the results with you."

Edward nodded and watched her carefully as she turned to walk out of the exam room. "Thank you, Dr. Swan," he said just as she closed the door behind her.

With a sigh, Bella placed his chart into the bin next to the door and made her way up to the receptionist's desk to check in with Alice.

Alice was on the phone when Bella reached the front of the office. Only two patients were in the waiting room, which was good. She didn't like to keep her patients waiting long. She quickly reviewed the charts Alice had left on the counter for her and waited while Alice booked an appointment for the following week.

As she hung up the phone, Bella leaned across the counter and spoke softly. "I guess the big emergency in exam room three was not the patient's health."

Alice's eyes lit up as she bounced lightly in her chair. "Can you believe that _Edward Cullen_ is here? I nearly died when I saw him walk in – his agent must have booked the appointment because it wasn't under his real name," Alice gushed as she thankfully followed Bella's lead and spoke in a whisper.

"I'm sure there was a very good reason for him using an alias. I hope I don't need to remind you about our patient confidentiality provisions." Bella liked Alice but she liked her practice a whole hell of a lot more. If she had to fire her receptionist for her lack of discretion, then so be it.

Fortunately, Alice looked appropriately chastised. Her eyes grew large at Bella's tone. "I wouldn't do anything like that, Dr. Swan. I was just excited to see him and figured you might be too. He scored three goals…"

Bella held up her hand – once Alice got on a tangent, there was little chance for a quick escape. "That's fine. He felt a little uncomfortable that you'd recognized him and I had to assure him that there wouldn't be a line of press out front when he leaves."

"I would never do that," Alice reassured her again, and Bella believed her. Alice was dependable and Bella had no reason to doubt her.

"I know, but I had to be sure. Send Tanya in to run the usual on him. I'm going to check on…" Bella consulted the top file for the name. "Mrs. Cope and we'll go from there."

Bella walked briskly down the hall. It was going to be a busy morning.

Mrs. Cope was one of their regulars and it took no time to complete her follow-up appointment. Bella saw two more patients and then quickly found herself with a few free minutes before Edward's test results were due. She hurried to her office to do some quick research on the horns that he was so convinced were the root of his problem.

The vuvuzela research took only moments. It was when she googled "Edward Cullen" that Bella got completely distracted and lost track of time. Her patient was more well-known in the soccer world that she would have guessed. His stats were impressive and even more so was the list of women he'd been attached to over the years. Bella ignored the small ball of unease that formed in her chest. He was her patient and nothing more. According to his bio, he was single and absolutely free to date whomever he pleased. Her only goal in all of this was to get to the root of his problem.

A sharp knock at the door had her slamming shut the lid of her laptop. Tanya entered the office and Bella glanced down, just to make sure she hadn't left it open to the Google images page she'd been perusing.

"Here are Mr. Cullen's test results. Do you need me to assist?" Tanya was Jessica's cousin, and one of those women Bella loved to dislike. Tall, leggy, with beautiful strawberry-blonde hair and a smile that made even grumpy old men dig deep and find some cheerfulness in their souls. If Bella didn't know Tanya, she might have hated her. But Tanya was friendly, kind-hearted and loved working with their older patients. They were lucky to have her as part of the team and Bella was fortunate to count her as one of her friends.

At the moment though, the resemblance to the type of woman Edward Cullen liked to date was too much for Bella to take. If she was honest with herself, she would admit that she had developed a small crush on her patient. Nothing would ever come from it, but she couldn't help the small spark of jealousy that formed anyway.

With a sigh, Bella pushed those impossible thoughts back and glanced over his test results. Everything was as she suspected and she sent Tanya on to prep the testing equipment for the next patient. Mr. Cullen's case was a simple one and she wouldn't need to run any further tests.

Armed with his file once more, Bella marched back to exam room three to give him the good news. When she opened the door, she found Edward pacing the room nervously. He waited until she'd closed the door before speaking.

"It's bad, isn't it? Don't try and make it pretty, this is my career we're talking about." He stopped in his tracks, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. "Hit me."

Bella allowed herself to smile once he was no longer looking at her. He was going to like the news she had to give him. "Your condition is temporary, Mr. Cullen. I believe you'll have your full hearing restored within a few days."

Edward's eyes opened and he watched her warily. "Are you sure?"

Bella took a seat on the stool and indicated for him to sit down as well. "I did some quick research on the vuvuzelas and unless one had been positioned about a foot away from your ear for twelve hours straight, you shouldn't have any long term damage." Bella glanced down at the chart in her hands. "Your test results do show some slight hearing loss in your right ear, but that should disappear soon."

Edward visibly relaxed, sinking back against the chair. "Dr. Swan, that is such a relief – you have no idea how happy I am to hear that." He sat forward, placing his hands on his knees. "What about the ringing – will that go away soon too?"

Bella nodded. "The Tinnitus is a symptom of the incident. If it's bothering you enough, we can discuss ways to alleviate it until you're back to normal."

Edward frowned and her and then shook his head. "No, it's not that noticeable. Just when I'm trying to sleep."

"You could try leaving the TV on while you sleep, or a white-noise machine to drown out the ringing. I know it can be annoying."

Edward's frown quickly turned to a smile. "Not as annoying as not being able to hear what's happening on the field. You really have made my week."

Bella turned, trying to hide her blush again. Patients thanked her all the time. She wasn't sure why Edward's praise affected her more than usual.

"It was my pleasure," she murmured as she began to gather her things so she could move on to her next patient. "Schedule a follow-up appointment with Alice on your way out. I want to see how you're doing in 10 days."

Bella turned to say goodbye and was surprised to find Edward standing just a few feet away. His smile was lopsided now and the twinkle in his eyes was something that she recognized, but had never experienced from someone quite as good-looking before.

"Would you like to have dinner with me sometime?" Edward asked quietly, inching closer to where Bella's feet stood frozen against the floor.

Bella's mind went blank, leaving her a trembling pile of goo as Edward advanced. All she could see was his smile and the unmistakable heat in his eyes. His feet shuffled closer, and it wasn't until his hand slid up her arm did Bella break out of his voodoo gaze.

She jumped back, knocking his chart to the floor, the papers spilling all over the place. She dropped to the floor and scrambled to clean up the mess she'd made, gulping in air as she frantically thought through the situation.

She'd never been asked out by a patient before. It was unnerving, extremely flattering, and very bad timing. She couldn't date a patient. No matter how sexy he looked kneeling on the floor next to her. She snatched the papers out of his hands a bit more roughly than she'd intended and stood, backing up several feet until she found the door behind her. Her hand wrapped around the handle as she regained her composure.

"That's very nice of you Mr. Cullen, but no. Thank you, though." She turned to escape into the hall, but Edward was faster. His hand whisked across hers, halting her forward progress.

"Do you have a husband? Boyfriend?" he pressed, standing next to her now.

Bella refused to look at him. Her heart pounded inside her chest. He was making this very, very difficult. "No."

"It's because I'm ugly, isn't it?" he questioned, his voice filled with the smile that Bella refused to allow herself to see.

From another man, his question would have seemed cocky. Coming from Edward, who'd so far shown himself to be humble, charming, and concerned more with his career than his looks, he was simply trying to get her to laugh. Which worked, of course.

"That's not it either," Bella demurred, fighting the smile on her face. She was weakening and knew she couldn't.

Edward pulled back, and she missed his overwhelming presence immediately. "Well then, I'll just have to try again. See you next time, Doc."

It was Edward's hand that opened the door. Bella stepped back and watched him leave, walking down the hall and out of sight. She closed the door behind him, closeting herself inside the exam room for a few minutes by herself.

_What the hell had just happened?_

_-VR-_

That night, over some half-eaten containers of Thai, Bella spilled the beans to her business partner.

"Edward Cullen asked me out today," she said, grasping her can of Diet Coke tightly enough to dent it.

"Who?" Jessica asked around a noodle she was sucking into her mouth. They'd known each other since med school, and Jess's bad habit of talking while some enormous piece of food dangled out of her mouth seemed to be incurable.

"Edward Cullen. He was our first appointment this morning."

That got Jess' attention. "What did you say?" she asked, this time her mouth free of food.

"I told him no, of course. I don't think he was discouraged though."

"You can't date him," Jess said seriously, pushing her container to the side. Dinners like this were common – after the practice closed, just the two of them devouring some salty, oiled, and/or deep-fried delivery served in cardboard boxes and plastic containers. Neither of them was used to having much free time and was unfortunately very familiar with eating on the go.

Bella studied the container in front of her. They were in her office and it was kind of killing her not to be spending her evening googling more information – and pictures – on Edward Cullen. "I know," she said after a moment. No matter how cute he was, how nice he seemed, and how badly she wanted to have dinner with him, Jessica was right.

Jess leaned forward and caught Bella's gaze. "Is he cute?"

Bella couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. "Yeah. I thought you might have heard of him though." Jess had dated a fellow student in med school who'd gone on to be a sports trainer. As far as Bella knew, they still got together every once in a while to scratch certain itches.

"Edward Cullen?" Jess's nose scrunched up as she thought. "He doesn't sound familiar. Former patient?"

"No, he's a soccer player. He plays for the DC team."

Jess' gasp filled the room. "Wait – Edward Cullen? _That_ Edward Cullen? Holy shit, Bella, he's so much more than 'cute.' He's gorgeous. You should see him play, too. Mike got us tickets to one of their games and he was the fastest guy out there. Wow." Jessica sat back in the chair, surprise written all over her face.

"That kind of sucks," she said after a few minutes.

"Yeah," Bella agreed.

"We could fire him."

Bella laughed. "Fire a patient? No, we can't. Besides, think about the possible business he could drum up for us. I'm not doing anything to ruin that. Besides, it wasn't that big of a deal. He probably asks women to dinner every day. He'll have forgotten all about me by now. It's silly to even consider changing our business practices so I can date one guy."

"One very hot guy," Jess added.

Bella couldn't argue with that.

_-VR-_

"Dr. Swan, this is the last one for today," Alice said, handing her the patient's chart. It was Friday, and Bella was glad to see the end of the week. Her weekend was going to be sadly invisible though. She had an early Saturday morning flight to Denver for a conference and then it was back to the grind on Tuesday. At least she'd have a few hours to read on the flight.

"You can take off early, Alice," Bella said as she glanced at the clock. "Jess will open on Monday." Bella watched in amusement as Alice hopped up, grabbed her things, and made a beeline for the front door. She left with a wave and a smile, the door clicking shut quietly behind her.

Bella smiled to herself as she followed the hallway to exam room three. Alice's energy, as always, was contagious. Everyone else was gone for the day, save for Jess who was holed up in her office. Friday appointments were usually light and reserved for follow-ups. Bella had only a split second to glance at the name on the chart before knocking and entering the room. She wished she'd had about ten minutes longer.

"Hi there, Doc," Edward Cullen said as she entered the room. Bella paused, noticing that he was still as gorgeous as she'd remembered. She mentally kicked herself for taking more time that morning to book her car rental for the conference than reviewing the patient files.

"Mr. Cullen, good afternoon," she managed to sputter as she closed the door behind her.

"Edward – it's just Edward," he corrected her with that same devastating smile.

"Edward, then," Bella said. "So, how are you today?" It was difficult remembering that she was a doctor and there to perform a job. Edward was completely distracting and she would be lucky to escape the room knowing her own name.

"Actually, I'm not doing so well," Edward said, frowning a little. "That's why I begged your receptionist to let me come in today. I know I was scheduled for next week, but my problems don't seem to be getting any better."

Bella took a seat on the stool and scooted closer. "That's not good." She opened his chart and looked over his results from his first visit to make sure she hadn't missed anything. "Hmm. Well, let's take a look."

Bella examined his ears, trying not to notice how good he smelled or the lingering dampness to his hair, like he'd just gotten out of the shower. "The redness is gone," she told him when she was done. "Which is good news. I still don't see any signs of infection. There is a chance that the damage could be more permanent than I first thought. We'll compare this week's results to those from last week and make a plan from there."

Edward shifted uncomfortably in the chair. "That's fine. Um – is that same woman going to be performing the tests this time?"

Bella sighed and turned to hide her displeasure. Of course he'd want to see Tanya again – who wouldn't? It wouldn't surprise Bella if he'd asked her to dinner as well. "No, Tanya's gone for the day. I'll be running the tests this afternoon."

To her disbelief, Edward actually sounded relieved. "Oh, that's great news. I mean, Tanya did a good job last time but I feel much more comfortable in your hands, Dr. Swan."

Bella's blush extended to her ears as she imagined just what she could do to him with her hands. She shook it off, though. These silly fantasies weren't going to help her maintain her professionalism.

Bella led him down the hall and into the testing room. She left him there for a moment and poked her head into Jess' office.

"I've got a patient in the testing room and I let Alice go home early. Can you man the phones until 5?"

Jess looked at her over the edge of her laptop. "Sure, but why are you testing?"

Bella's blush quickly crept back. "It's, uh, Edward Cullen. He says his symptoms are worse. I'm going to re-run everything. We really can't afford to mess this up."

Jess' eyes narrowed. "In more ways than one, Bella. Don't forget that he's a patient."

Bella nodded and closed the door. The most important thing at the moment was improving Edward's hearing. She couldn't let anything else distract her.

The next 45 minutes proved to her that Edward Cullen was one giant distraction. While she performed the usual battery of tests to measure the strength of his hearing, he kept up a constant barrage of commentary. First, it was questions about where she grew up and her family. Then, he talked about his family and siblings. He shared his aspirations for the future and seemed genuinely interested in Bella's career plans and goals. He was charming, funny, and smart – everything Bella would hope to find in a man. It was a shame that she found it in the one man she needed to avoid.

Edward had made her lower her walls so much that when she was reading over his results, she almost missed the tell-tale pattern that she should have seen right away.

"Edward, these results are completely different from your first visit. Your hearing levels are all over the place. I'm afraid your condition may be more severe than we first thought," she told him once they were ensconced back in exam room three.

Edward's eyes grew wide and his feet shifted nervously on the floor. "What are you saying, Doc?"

"I'm saying your hearing loss may be permanent. At this point, I would normally start discussing hearing aids, but I feel very uneasy with the discrepancy in the two sets of tests. I would like for you to come back next week and we'll test again. Then we can really discuss your options."

Edward was silent and Bella gave him a moment to let him absorb the news. She wasn't sure how much this would affect his career, but it was always difficult news to receive. Given his young age, he probably hadn't expected to be dealing with a situation like this for a number of years yet.

"Thank you, Dr. Swan. I appreciate your frankness, as always. I'd be more than happy to come back next week." Edward sounded composed but Bella was still concerned about him.

Just like his previous visit, Bella turned to see him out. This time, they made it all the way down the hall before he stepped into her personal space.

"I really enjoyed talking to you today. I'd love to see you outside the office. Won't you please let me take you to dinner? Or to a movie?"

His breath was hot on her neck and the heat spread rapidly across her entire body. Edward was becoming more and more difficult to resist.

"That's not a good idea," Bella said with more force than she actually felt.

"I think it's a great idea. I have plans with my family tonight, but how about tomorrow? There's this great restaurant in Georgetown – very quiet, great food."

Bella's resolve was melting but fortunately she had a legitimate excuse to throw his way this time. "I'm leaving for a conference in the morning." She turned to face him, forcing him back a few steps. "And like I said, it's really not a good idea."

"It's because I talked about myself too much, isn't it?" Again, that disarming smile and the twinkle in his eyes took the hard edge off the tone in his voice. She'd disappointed him and Bella tried to convince herself that it was for the best.

"Actually, it's nice to know that the internet doesn't have all its facts straight when it comes to you."

Edward's grin grew wider. "Did you look me up? If I'd known you were going to do that, I would have sent you some of the better links. There was this one time when I was vacationing in Brazil and I was on a nude beach…"

Bella waved her hand in front of her face, trying to erase the vivid images that popped into her mind. "I don't need to know about that. I'll see you next week Mr. Cullen." She followed him to the door, anxiously awaiting the moment when she could lock it behind him.

He stopped when he was in the doorframe and smiled down at her. "Tchau," he said right before Bella closed the door. The lock echoed in the small waiting room and Bella swore that she heard him chuckle on the other side of the door.

Bella hurried to her office, not knowing if she was trying to get away from him or just anxious to google the phrase "Edward Cullen nude Brazil."

_-VR-_

The following week dragged for Bella. It could have been the conference that turned out to be more boring that cleaning out ear wax, or the monotony to her routine that left her oddly dissatisfied. She had the awful feeling that it had more to do with the fact that she couldn't stop thinking about Edward Cullen. She found herself lingering on ESPN, waiting for highlights from the soccer matches. She didn't realize how out of character she'd been acting until Jess cornered her Thursday after work.

"You need a drink," Jess said the moment she marched into Bella's office.

"I do?" Bella asked as she shut down her computer. What she really wanted to do was sleep for a few days.

"Yes. You need a couple drinks, actually. Some wings and a cute guy wouldn't hurt either. Let's go to the bar."

Bella wrinkled her nose. The only "cute guy" who'd even blipped on her radar in the past year was verboten and she didn't feel like getting chummy with a bunch of handsy drunk men. "I don't think so," she said as she rubbed her eyes, placing her reading glasses on her desk. "I'm going to bed early."

"DC United's playing tonight. They'll have the game on at the bar."

Bella stood and glared at Jess. "Why would you try and entice me with that? You're the one who keeps reminding me that he's a patient. Going to a bar to watch him play isn't going to take my mind off him."

"Come on, we can forget for one night that he's not a patient. Besides, he'll be on TV and we'll be at the bar. It's not like you can grope him so everyone's safe. You've been a zombie this week, Bella. I want to see you have some fun."

Jess was right. She did need more fun in her life. But no matter what Jess said, watching Edward play soccer, no matter from how far away, wasn't safe. She'd probably just want to molest him even more the next time she saw him.

"Alright, I'll go. Do I have time to change?" Bella's work attire was not easily translatable into evening wear. Or bar wear, for that matter.

"Absolutely. I'll pick you up at 7."

They arrived at a bar in downtown DC around 8 o'clock. Bella was excited – more excited than she wanted Jess to know. She'd seen Edward play in clips before, but never a live game. It was exciting to be able to feed the small crush she was harboring, but in a harmless, PG-rating way. She was safe and her business was safe. She could ogle Edward for however long the match lasted and nobody got hurt.

What she didn't count on was the massive crowd that filled the bar Jess had picked.

"What's going on?" Bella called over the roar of the crowd as they inched their way into the large room. Multiple TVs played throughout, but Bella couldn't get close enough to any of them to see the game. "This has got to be a fire code violation."

"I don't know," Jess responded, her small voice barely carrying over the noise. "I'll get us some beers – you see if you can get us a table." Jess disappeared into the throng of bodies that seemed to fill every space. Bella turned and pushed her way towards the closest TV.

She managed to get close enough to be able to tell the colors of the uniforms. DC United wore black and so she tried to follow the action of the players in that color as they ran up and down the field. Bella had never really gotten the appeal of sports and it was difficult for her to pay attention to a game that she could barely see, let alone understand. She searched for an open table but was unsurprised to find none. She'd no idea that soccer matches were so popular and was regretting her decision to go.

As she turned to head back to the bar and find Jess, a man bumped into her, spilling some of his beer down her arm. Bella stood in shock, shaking off the cold liquid that dribbled down her fingers. She looked up to give her douser a piece of her mind and instead found herself lost in a pair of familiar green eyes.

"Dr. Swan?" Edward said, reaching behind him to hand her a wad of napkins. "It is you! What are you doing here?"

Bella stood holding the napkins as Edward took one of them and began wiping the beer off her arm.

"I'm sorry I spilled on you. Are you alright?" He watched her in concern as she continued to stare open-mouthed at him.

Bella shook it off. "Yeah, I'm fine." She finished wiping off her arm and handed the sodden napkins back to him. "What are you doing here? I thought you were playing tonight?" She worried that his hearing condition had gotten worse and he'd been kicked off the team. It would be even more imperative than ever that she help him with his condition.

But Edward was already shaking his head. "No, we play next Thursday night. The team decided to come down here tonight to watch the Union vs. Real Salt Lake match." He looked around the bar with chagrin on his face. "I guess some fans heard that we were here and it turned into a madhouse." Edward leaned down so he wouldn't have to shout. "I'm glad you're here though. Can I get you a drink?"

Bella didn't know what to do. She'd let down her guard, was prepared to drool over this man from afar, and was having a hard time shutting that part of her brain off. He wore a concert t-shirt that showed off his wide shoulders, pecs and abs. His jeans clung to his muscular thighs and Bella was willing to bet that his ass was just as spectacular as she remembered it. Did she want him to get her a drink? You bet your sweet bulging muscles she did.

All her worries were forgotten as she joined Edward and a few of his teammates at a table along the wall of the bar. Garrett, Stefan, Alec, Demetri – they all blended together for Bella. Her eyes lingered on Edward longer than they should. How could she resist when his eyes were as glued to her? They talked and laughed while his teammates followed the game playing on the TV behind them. Bella had lost all interest in it now that Edward was in front of her. And as far as she could tell, Edward only had an interest in her.

An hour slipped by before Bella realized that she'd lost Jess somewhere along the way. "Oh crap, I have to find Jess," she said as she turned to search the bar for her. She dug out her cell phone, expecting to find some frantic messages. "I don't get any reception in here," she said as she waved her phone in the air.

Edward nodded towards the door. "Come on, we'll go outside. The reception will be better there and maybe we'll find her on the way."

Bella clung to Edward's hand as he led her out, craning her neck along the way to see around the bodies that still packed the bar. Before she knew it, they were being spit out the front door but still no sign of Jessica.

"She's going to be so mad," Bella muttered as she attempted to send a text. "I can't believe I forgot her."

"I've got my boys looking for her inside. She's got to be around somewhere. Who knows – maybe she found somebody in there too," Edward said as he smiled down at her.

Bella turned, trying to hide the uneasiness that came over her. She hadn't exactly "found someone" in there. It had been fun talking to Edward but it was time to go back to reality. No matter how much she wished it was different.

"Why do you always do that?" Edward murmured, placing a finger underneath her chin. "You're always hiding from me. Please don't do that."

Bella found herself facing him and it was impossible to hide the way she felt. She liked Edward – a lot. More than a doctor should like their patient. She couldn't be an effective practitioner if she couldn't keep her feelings out of the equation. She wouldn't be objective and that's what a good doctor needed to be. She struggled to push back that part of her that wanted to go out with him, but knew she'd lost the battle as his mouth descended to hers.

Edward's lips met her own and Bella gave into the kiss entirely. His mouth was warm and he tasted of the beer they'd been consuming. His hands caressed her bare shoulders and pulled her closer into the curve of his body. Bella surrendered easily. Her whole body tingled from his touch and there wasn't anything in the entire world that seemed more important than getting as close to Edward as possible.

His tongue curled around hers, darting and coaxing, giving her a preview of what he would be like in bed. Bella's knees turned to Jell-O at the thought of him naked - touching, kissing, and teasing her until her whole world exploded.

It seemed like nothing in the world could tear her from his arms. Nothing except for the sound of her name on her business partner's lips.

"Bella," Jess exclaimed mere feet away from where Bella was attempting to crawl up Edward's body on a public street.

Bella jumped back, her hand flying to her mouth as she stared into Jess' angry glare.

"Jess," Bella squeaked. "Uh, this is Edward Cullen."

Jess' mouth pursed and she made no move to shake the hand Edward had offered. He pulled it back after a moment and stuck it into his pocket. His other arm was draped across Bella's shoulder. He clearly wasn't going to let her go so easily.

"We need to leave," Jess said, eyebrows raised. Bella knew she was going to get an earful on the way home – and with good reason.

"Yeah, ok," Bella said as she slipped out from underneath Edward's arm. "I'll, uh, see you at your next appointment."

"I can take Bella home," Edward insisted as Bella stood next to Jess outside the bar. The street was blessedly empty – everyone was inside enjoying the last few minutes of the match.

"No, it's ok. I need to get to bed anyway," Bella insisted, as she avoided looking both at Edward and Jess.

Edward took a few steps forward. "Can I call you?" he asked quietly.

Bella shook her head and started backing away. "That's not a good idea."

"You keep saying that, but I don't think you mean it," Edward replied, his eyes turning icy as she started to walk away with Jess.

"Goodbye, Edward," Bella said before disappearing around the corner completely.

They were silent until they got into Jess' car. As soon as they had pulled into traffic, Bella turned to her. "I'm sorry," she said. "I don't know what happened. I didn't know he was going to actually be there and then we started talking and I just lost track of time. Then I realized that I hadn't seen you in a while and we came outside to look for you."

"Because I told you I'd be at the bar waiting for you, you decided to go outside to look for me?"

"I thought you told me to find a table?"

Jess was concentrating on the traffic, but Bella could tell she'd rather be concentrating on their discussion. "Look, it doesn't matter now. What are you going to do about Edward Cullen?"

Jess was mad, and Bella didn't blame her. She'd abandoned her and not just for anybody – for the one person she was supposed to stay away from. "I'm not sure what to do," Bella admitted.

"Look, it's better if you just don't see him anymore. I'll cover his next appointment and it won't be an issue at all."

"No," Bella all but shouted, clutching the door handle in a panic. "How will that look to him? We have to maintain our professional standards and switching out doctors half-way through his treatment isn't the best way to do that."

"It's more professional than making out with him in the middle of the street," Jess countered.

"I know I screwed up, ok, but I can make it right again. When he comes in, I'll explain to him why I can't see him on a personal level and how much we value him as a patient. I can do this, Jess." As hard as it would be, Bella would prove to herself, Jess, and Edward that she was a professional, no matter what.

"I don't know," Jess murmured as she pulled onto the Inner Loop. Bella was quiet as she merged into traffic, not wanting to interrupt her concentration. They traveled in silence for a while but as their exit grew closer, Bella knew she needed to plead her case one more time.

"Jess, I can handle this. Edward Cullen may be good-looking, he may be some famous athlete, and he absolutely is the best kisser I've ever come across, but this crush is something I can control. And I can guarantee that as soon as I explain the situation to him, he'll move on to the next girl. I won't let this disrupt our practice. I promise."

Jess' sigh filled the car. Bella knew she was asking a lot, but she also knew that Jess trusted her. This _crush_ was gone as of that moment. Her practice, her entire livelihood, meant more to her than some man who would probably disappear as soon as he screwed her.

"Alright, Bella. Just, no more mistakes, ok?"

Bella nodded as she turned to face out the car window. Even as she began pushing the thoughts, feelings, and memories of Edward away, a part of her knew it was going to be harder than she had let on.

_-VR-_

It was Friday and Bella should have been excited about the weekend. No conferences to attend or other work-related obligations. She had two full days of nothing planned and it had been weeks since she'd had a free weekend. Instead of hurrying into the office and being thankful for the light patient load they had scheduled, Bella had to drag herself out of bed that morning. Edward Cullen was due into the office and she was not looking forward to their encounter.

Her situation was straight-forward enough – she only hoped that Edward would be understanding, not give her any grief, and lose the tenaciousness with which he'd been hounding her so far. But, yeah, she'd seen him play soccer and backing down wasn't exactly his style.

Bella had her head in her hands, her eyes closed, when Alice beeped through on the intercom. "You-know-who is in exam room three," she whispered.

Bella raised her head and sighed. "Thanks, Alice." The pulsing ache behind her eyes intensified as she stood and made her way down the hall. Bella hated confrontations, hated having to be frank and open about her feelings, especially when it came to men.

By the look on Edward's face when she entered the room, this was going to be every bit as uncomfortable as she'd feared. His eyes latched onto hers as soon as she was in the room, the edges crinkling up in delight when she closed the door behind her. Somehow, his smile was even more engaging than usual. Bella had to force herself to look at his chart to fight back the rush of feelings. What she really wanted to do was throw herself into his arms and let him have his way with her. What she was actually going to do was much less enjoyable.

"Mr. Cullen, how are you today?" she began, adding a professional, detached tone to her voice.

Edward snorted. "What's with the 'Mr. Cullen' business? And I'm fantastic now that you're here."

Yeah – this was going to be as hard as she thought. "Mr. Cullen, we need to talk."

Edward's grin faltered as he took in her tense stance and white-knuckled grip on his chart. "That doesn't sound good."

"I'm afraid that I've given you the wrong impression about me and Capital Audiology. We have strict standards when it comes to the treatment of our patients. My behavior has bordered on inappropriate and I mean to remedy that immediately."

Edward crossed his arms, cocking his eyebrow at her. "Do you, now? Well, I'd like to hear this."

"As a patient of Capital Audiology, I can only interact with you on a professional level. While I have been flattered by the attention and regard you've paid me, I can no longer, with good conscience, lead you to believe that anything else is possible. And now that we've discussed this matter, if you would feel more comfortable being seen by my colleague, Dr. Stanley, I would completely understand. Of course, if you'd prefer a recommendation to another practice, we would be more than happy to supply that as well." Bella's heart pounded as she finished, her eyes roaming the room, searching for anything to fixate on other than the man in front of her.

"You've been practicing that speech, haven't you?" Edward said, drawing her eyes finally to him.

"I…well…a bit," Bella stammered. His chart hung from her fingertips as she struggled to regain control of herself.

Edward nodded and then took in a deep breath. "Well, there's only one thing left to be done then."

Bella raised her head, regarding him down the length of her nose. "Whatever you decide is best." Her reserves were waning – she hadn't quite expected this non-reaction from him.

"Right," Edward said as he stood. Bella froze as she waited for his decision.

"You're fired."

Bella's shoulders sagged even though she'd known it was a possibility. She'd acted deplorably and he was well within his rights to seek out another doctor. "I understand," she said quietly. "Alice will have a list of referrals for you on the way out. We have appreciated your patronage."

Bella turned to leave, afraid that he'd see the tears that were threatening to flood her eyes. She was more hurt by his decision than she thought she'd be and wanted to seek solace in her office.

Edward didn't allow her to reach the door. "I think you misunderstood," he said as his fingers curled around her elbow. "If I can't see you on a personal level, then there's no use in pretending anymore."

Bella turned, allowing him to pull her closer to his chest. "What are you talking about?"

"I lied when I came back and said my hearing had gotten worse. I only did that so I could see you again. You were right the first time – the hearing loss was temporary and came back after a few days." Edward paused, taking a deep breath. "I think you're pretty and smart and I wanted to take you out, but you kept turning me down and I knew I had to keep trying. It was probably lousy of me to pretend to have problems just to see you, but I'm hoping you'll forgive me and go out with me anyway."

Bella's mouth dropped open and his chart fell to the ground with a clang. "You faked your condition just to keep coming back?" A part of Bella was extremely flattered at the lengths he'd gone to just to see her, but another part of her was worried about what this displayed about his character. What other lies and deceitful tricks was he willing to pull in order to get his way?

Edward at least had the grace to look embarrassed. "I know, it was creepy, and I swear it's not something I would normally do. I guess one of my buddies might have talked me into thinking it was a good idea, but I really like you, Bella. I was desperate and I would love nothing more than for you to go to dinner with me. Tonight, if at all possible."

"I don't know…" she trailed off.

"You weren't so hesitant last night when you kissed me."

His tone made her defensive. "It's complicated, Edward. I have a business to run and I can't just toss away my own rules and moral obligations when it suits my needs. I have a staff to run and a partner to answer to – I have to lead by example and getting involved with a patient, former or not, is just a bad idea."

His hands tightened on her arms. "This isn't a bad idea," he said. "This just scares you and there's nothing in your textbooks and journals to tell you how to deal with it so you're trying to dismiss your feelings, and me. I know we barely know each other but this feels right to me. You feel right to me. What's it going to take to convince you otherwise?"

Bella stared into his eyes, trying to answer his question but coming up blank. He was right – she was scared and didn't know the right thing to do. She wanted….well, she wanted Edward. Apparently, she took too long to answer for Edward's taste.

"I guess it's up to me to prove it to you then." His mouth was on hers and the rest of the office, the rest of the world, faded away. There was only Edward and the now-familiar feel of his lips on hers. The skin of his neck against her finger tips. The slide of his hands to her hips. The feverish pressing of his body to hers.

The taste of his mouth was intoxicating and Bella soon felt drugged beyond comprehension. His kisses weren't gentle – his threat to prove himself hadn't been idle – but it was exactly what she needed. Unfortunately, it was still the wrong time and place. She pressed her hands against his chest, forcing him back a few steps and his lips away from hers.

Edward groaned in frustration. "You're killing me here, Bella. You've got to give me a chance."

Bella felt like all her senses were filled with him. He was addicting and overwhelming and there was no way she couldn't give him the chance he wanted now. "What time are you picking me up?"

Realization dawned on Edward's face. He smiled and laced his fingers through hers. "Seven. And wear a skirt – I love your legs." He turned and left, the door clicking shut quietly behind him.

Bella stood and stared at the door, feeling giddy at what had just happened. She couldn't say that all her reservations had disappeared but she definitely felt better about the situation. Now that Edward was no longer a patient, she was free to date him. She had the feeling that he could be something more to her entirely. And that made her even giddier than before.

Jessica watched her carefully as Bella explained what had happened with Edward. She didn't speak until Bella had fallen silent. "He makes you happy, Bella. I haven't seen you like this in years so I'm glad for it. Just – be careful, alright?"

Bella smiled and nodded, though she knew it was too late for that. She'd tossed all her cares away the moment she'd agreed to have dinner with him.

_-VR-_

When Bella's doorbell rang a few hours later, she patted her hair nervously before opening the door. Edward stood in the hallway, grinning like an idiot and looking as fantastic as always. Her heart sped up at the sight of him and if she wasn't careful, she would end up naked on her bed before they even made it to dinner. She forced herself to step out into the hall and lock the door before she could change her mind.

"You found me", she said over her shoulder as the deadbolt slid home. She hadn't given him her number or her address and trying to get in touch with him after he'd left the office had been an interesting debacle. Alice had finally tracked down a trainer at his soccer club and passed along a message through him for Edward to call the office. By the time Edward had called, Bella had left to take a shower and get ready for their date. It had been up to Alice to provide him with the essentials and Bella was happy to note that it had all worked out in the end. It hadn't done anything for her frazzled nerves, though.

The soft kiss Edward placed on her neck didn't help that much either. His lips were warm and wet and Bella felt her resolve crumbling.

"I like your dress," he murmured as he turned her around. She'd worn one of her favorites – deep blue and falling to her knees, it bared her shoulders and the showed the perfect amount of cleavage. She always felt beautiful when she wore it and by the heat in Edward's eyes, she could tell that he thought so too.

"We match," Bella said as her eyes raked over his button-down with pale blue stripes. Normally, that would have bothered her – couples who dressed alike were a little creepy – but it pleased her that she could share the randomness of their wardrobe choices with Edward.

Edward didn't seem capable of taking his eyes off her and it was up to Bella to take his hand and lead him downstairs. He found his voice once they'd reached his car and Bella sighed in relief. She didn't mind doing most of the talking but she would have missed the easy banter they'd had the night before at the bar.

During the ride to the restaurant, Edward held her hand at every opportunity. When she spoke, it felt like he was actually paying attention to what she said. She shivered from the cool air in the car and Edward immediately adjusted the temperature so she'd be more comfortable. Bella felt like she hadn't had a proper date in forever and the careful attention he paid her was extremely flattering.

Edward took her to a small restaurant in Georgetown that was clearly a frequent haunt of his. They were ushered to a table in the back by a woman who knew Edward by name and told them several times what a lovely couple they made. Normally, none of that would have bothered her, but Bella was uncomfortable with the amount of attention paid to them as they zigzagged through the tables. She breathed a sigh of relief once they were settled behind their menus.

"What's wrong?" he asked, noting the way she'd slunk down in her chair.

Bella peered around the restaurant. "I feel like everyone is staring at us," she whispered.

Edward laughed and tugged down the top of her menu. "If anyone's staring it's because they're wondering how I got to be so lucky. And if you're worried about anyone recognizing me, don't. I'm not that well-known. We can go to a restaurant without being hounded. It's only when I'm at the complex or hanging out with the team that it's an issue. Trust me – nobody here knows who I am, except for you."

Bella straightened in her seat, feeling a little foolish. "I'm sorry – now I feel silly."

Edward scooted his chair closer and took her hand. "Don't. And honestly, it's one of the reasons I brought you here. I don't want anybody else to have my attention tonight but you."

Bella melted just a little. "I don't feel like sharing you either." It was amazing how easy it was for her to say that, considering the complete 180 she'd taken since that morning.

When the server came to take their order, Edward's hand slid to the back of her chair. By the time their salads came, it was resting comfortably on her back. During their entrees, he was drawing circles on the bare skin above the edge of her dress. She was panting by the time dessert showed up, knowing without a doubt that she was going to throw herself at him the moment they left the restaurant. His touch made her burn. It made her want things that she never would have considered on a first date before. She just wanted to be alone with him.

"Can we go soon?" she whispered as she watched him slide another bite of French Silk pie into his mouth. She'd hardly eaten anything herself - her appetite had disappeared some time ago when she'd watched him lick spilled sauce off his fingers. Well, her appetite for food anyway.

Edward's fork slid from his lips as the last of the pie disappeared. "Are you in a hurry to get home?"

"With you."

The fork clattered to the plate and Edward's hand was in the air to wave their server for the check. Bella's breath hitched as she watched his frantic fumbling to remove his wallet and toss some bills on the table. They were out of their seats and through the front door in minutes.

He stopped her once they reached the car, crowding her against the door. "Are you sure this is what you want? I don't want you to regret anything later."

Bella's hands wrapped around his arms, clinging to him like she'd fall to the pavement otherwise. "I'm sure."

"What changed since this morning then?"

Bella stared into his eyes, knowing he deserved some type of explanation, even if she wasn't sure how to explain it. "I let go," she said after a moment. "I wasn't allowed to think about you as anything but a patient before and as soon as I let down my guard, everything that I've been feeling for you sort of tumbled out. Edward, I really like you and I have to be honest here – I don't do casual. So, if that's not something you can handle, you'd better tell me now." She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat, surprised at how much she had just lain on the line. She wasn't usually so forthcoming but she knew the moment they got into his car that there would be no going back. She felt things for him that she'd never felt before and she wasn't willing to chance her heart completely if he wasn't in the same place.

Luckily, Edward seemed to be right there with her. He smiled and leaned down to open the door for her. "I don't do casual either, no matter what your research may have otherwise told you. And just in case you haven't figured it out yet, I've been falling for you since the moment I saw you." He waited until she was inside and buckled before leaning in to give her a lingering kiss. When he pulled back, he said, "I can still just take you home. I don't have any expectations for tonight other than hoping to see you again."

Bella stared up at him and knew the only thing she'd regret would be letting him slip through her fingers. It was time she concentrated on something other than her career and Edward Cullen was exactly what she needed. "I want to go home with you," she said, not letting her eyes drop from his. The promise she saw there wasn't something she wanted to miss.

"Yes, ma'am," he said right before he shut the door.

They only made it as far as his living room. He'd mumbled something about a tour but all Bella knew about his condo was that it had a great view and hardwood floors. As he tumbled her back onto the large sofa in the center of the room, all she could see was him. The only light came from the city lights shining through the floor to ceiling windows. Bella felt like she was illuminated from the inside and her happiness was enough to light the entire room.

They kissed for what felt like hours, reminding Bella of stolen moments in her parents' basement back home with her first boyfriend. Those memories didn't hold a candle to the ones she was making with Edward though. He kissed her like he couldn't get enough – like he wanted to inhale her through his mouth. His hands roamed her body like they belonged there. No hesitations or doubts – somehow they both knew that nothing was off-limits. Yet, when his hand finally slipped beneath the collar of her dress, Bella tensed.

"What's wrong?" he asked, pulling back to stare down at her.

She could feel that her lips were swollen – probably just as swollen as his looked. She shook her head and guided his hand back to where it had been headed. "You just surprised me. I was beginning to think we were going to just make out all night."

His eyes gleamed in the darkness. "I do have plans for some other things we can do."

Bella pulled his face back to hers and whispered, "Show me."

She wasn't sure how he'd done it, but her dress was gone within minutes. She gasped as he pressed her down into the couch again, only her underwear keeping her from being completely nude.

"Your turn," she said as she slipped her hands between them and tugged on the buttons of his shirt. She blinked and his clothes were gone just as quickly - he came back to her wearing only his grin.

She studied his body as he bore down on top of her, noting the proud jut of his sex. Her legs fell apart and he was suddenly everywhere that she'd wanted him to be all at once. Her breasts, her thighs, her neck, her stomach – not an inch went unexplored. His hands were just as magical as his mouth and when he finally pressed his erection against apex of her thighs, Bella could only groan and push back.

"Do you have a condom?" she asked as she rubbed against him, only the thin material of her panties separating them.

Edward muttered something against her neck and she felt his hand slide between them. Through the dampened fabric, she could feel his knuckles brush against her. She moaned as he repeated the movement, wanting nothing to separate them. She wiggled to try and remove the offending material herself but froze when she saw what he was up to. His hand was fisted around his dick and he pumped it slowly as she watched. Suddenly, he shifted and then he was guiding his tip along the same path his knuckles had taken.

"You're killing me," she said as she strained to get closer. She wanted to feel him all over and the dry humping just wasn't cutting it.

She gasped as one of his fingers dipped underneath the edge of her panties and into the slick curls that waited for his touch. A strangled sound escaped Edward's throat as he explored her folds. She could feel the tip of him pulsing just inches away from where she wanted him to be and arched forward involuntarily, her body seeking what Edward insisted on keeping from her. Edward pushed forward at the same time and she felt him glide between her lips for barely a moment.

More unintelligible sounds came from him as he pulled himself back and stared down at her. "I'll be right back," he said before climbing off the couch and disappearing down a hallway.

Bella wasted no time getting completely naked. There was no more waiting as far as she was concerned and by the time Edward came back, she knew he felt the same way. He'd already sheathed himself and it felt like heaven when he crawled on top of her again.

He kissed her and Bella widened her thighs to make room for him. He fit into the curve of her body like he was meant to be there and she breathed his name as he reached down to guide himself in. She gasped as he filled her, knowing that nothing before had ever felt so right. Their mouths melded together as their bodies shifted and pulsed, learning each other for the first time.

Edward took his time in loving her. His hands never stilled and his lips never stopped. He joined himself to her like he never wanted it to end. Bella felt loved and worshipped and made sure to give back to him as much as he gave. His body was so different from hers and she wished for a million more hours to explore every inch.

When his hand slipped between them and down into her folds, Bella clung even more tightly to him. Her orgasm came quickly – shattering her whole world until she felt like everything had stopped. Everything except for the pulsing of Edward's body inside of hers. His strokes increased as she convulsed around him and he called out her name moments after she came back down to earth.

When he slipped from her body, she felt the loss keenly. He disappeared to clean up but was back even more quickly before. He folded her up into his lap, draping a blanket from the back of the sofa around them.

"Are you ok?" he asked as he rubbed circles on her back.

Bella hummed and snuggled into his body. She still felt connected to him, like there was something physically holding them together. "I'm great. Terrific. Fantastic. You?"

"All those and more," he said quietly.

Bella yawned, fighting her sudden fatigue. The last thing she wanted to do was sleep.

"Will you stay the night?" Edward asked.

Bella chuckled. "I'd love to."

"Why did you laugh?"

Bella turned so she could see his face, placing her palm against his cheek. She'd come so far already – there was no sense in censoring herself anymore. "I was just thinking that it's going to be hard to get rid of me now." She knew it was too soon to talk about anything too long term with him – their relationship was too new – but she couldn't help the way she felt.

Edward's smile banished any doubts she'd had. "Good. That's the last thing I want to do. I'm glad you're here."

And as he carried her into his bedroom and loved her all over again, Bella knew that she'd been right to give him a chance. She had a feeling that Edward was going to be the best thing that had ever happened to her.

The End

* * *

A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading it! Please leave me a review and let me know what you think.


End file.
